FINALLY got a minute to work on this one after all the crazy holiday chaos! And this update's kind of funny (I thought), and a little smutty (oh, DARN, right?)

Hope you enjoy it! As always, if you're so inclined, please review! I love the feedback! :D You guys are great!

Tony was outside with the goose, as Pepper continued to rummage through the kitchen cabinets, looking for something suitable she could use as a roaster. Soon, she'd happened upon an amber-colored, oval-shaped, glass casserole dish. "Bingo," she murmured, pulling it from the cabinet and surveying her find. It was a good size, and she smiled in satisfaction, thinking the goose would fit just perfect inside it.

It appeared the dish had been in the cabinet for quiet a while, as a thin layer of dust covered it. So she put it in the sink, and squirted a few drops of dish soap inside it, then filled it with hot water to give it a quick wash. She'd just finished, and was drying the dish when Tony returned with a headless, and foot-less, goose. She gave him a warm smile as he walked into the kitchen.

He was palming the breast of the goose with one hand, and gripping between the wings on the back with the other hand, holding it perpendicular to the ground, so as not to drip anything on the floor. He then hurriedly plopped it into the sink, and then smiled triumphantly at Pepper. "There you go, Pep. One beheaded, and...be-footed? goose," he proclaimed jovially.

But Pepper eyed it, frowning. Gingerly, she picked up the bird and looked into the opened end where the head once was. Almost immediately, she dropped it again, and groused at him. "Oh, To-ny!" she whined. She huffed, and stomped her foot in disdain. "Yuck! I told you I didn't want to..."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, all I was told to do was get rid of the head and the feet, as I recall," he argued. "You said you'd help with the rest, so that's what this is. The rest," he said, pointing at the headless, naked bird in the sink, and trying to keep a straight face while looking at her expression of complete disgust.

"Yeah, well. When I said I'd help, I thought that meant you would'n't leave me with much to do besides rinse the damn thing out," she explained.

But Tony couldn't hold his resolve, and started giggling at her. Which only made Pepper glower at him more.

She jabbed him in the chest, and he flinched, as she tried to maintain her pout, though his giggling was making her crack a smile. "It isn't funny," she retorted. "So stop laughing. You're work is not done, by the way. We're doing the rest together."

Tony chuckled again, but held up a hand to show her he was honestly trying to stop. He nodded in agreement. "Okay, Potts. Fair enough. You're right. We're doing this together. Got it," he said. He looked around the kitchen for a moment. "A knife. We'll need a knife. Ah," he said, spotting a filet knife in the butcher block. He quickly went to grab it, and then resume his position by her side. "Okay, doc?" he teased. "Where do we make the first incision?"

Pepper smiled, and shook her head at him teasing her. "Again. Why do you assume I would know what to do?" she asked.

"Yeah, I know you said you didn't do this much, but still. You've got the whole growing up on a farm advantage here, so I'm letting you lead the way," he reminded her. "Which, on that note, I find you being a farmer's daughter ridiculously sexy. But that's a whole other discussion."

Pepper looked at him curiously. "What? Why? What's the big deal?" she asked.

Tony cocked an eyebrow at her. "Oh, come on," he replied. "Picturing you in short little denim cutoffs? Wearing a flannel shirt, tied at the waist? Your hair in pigtails? My God, woman, the pigtails," he moaned, rolling his eyes dramatically.

Pepper spluttered, and staring giggling. Tony laughed at her laughing at him, his eyes sparkling at the sight.

"Never in a million years would I have guessed you'd be into that," she teased back.

Tony pumped his eyebrows suggestively in response. "Oh yeah," he purred. "And granted the whole 'farm girl' persona is sexy in it's own right. But you in that role? Yowza."

She shook her head. "Now who's into kinky role play," she muttered. "But, I have to tell you, I've never owned a pair of cut offs, nor have I ever worn a flannel shirt tied at the waist. And I'm pretty sure pigtails went out with my 10th birthday, so..."

"Hey, can't a guy dream?" Tony replied with a shrug, smirking. He continued. "But, oh, the things we'd do to each other in the hayloft," he rumbled, clucking his tongue, and looking at her sidelong.

Pepper giggled again, and then turned to run her hands up his chest, giving him a seductive look. Tony looked into her eyes, his arousal growing, as he ran his hands around her waist in return. She smiled coyly. "Now, that I can picture," she cooed softly.

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" he asked, his voice a low, soft rumble. "You wouldn't happen to have had past experience in said hayloft, now, would you, Ms. Potts?" he teased.

Pepper gave him a sly smile. "Maybe I do," she teased back.

Tony gasped, giving her a shocked smile. "You dirty girl! What. Did you sneak into the barn to make out with your high school boyfriend, or something?" he asked.

Pepper blushed, and quickly averted her eyes. Tony's eyes went wide, and he let out a dramatic gasp. "That's it, isn't it?! A literal roll in the hay, huh?" he hooted.

She giggled, and shrugged. "Well, I'm not one to kiss and tell," she replied, with a smirk. "But let's just say there were a lot of memories made in that barn."

"Alright, fine. Play it coy," Tony joked. "But you at least gotta answer me this. Exactly what do you picture us doing in that beloved hayloft? Just to compare fantasies, of course," he said, trying to keep his cool, and not to give away how much she was actually turning him on.

Pepper kept smiling, now running her hands around to the back of his head. She began playfully fiddling with his hair, which she could see he thoroughly enjoyed by the quiet, breathy moan that escaped his lips. "Well," she said, leaning in to kiss his lips softly before brushing the tips of their noses together. "All I know is we could be there for hours, if we wanted to. And never get bored," she purred.

"Oh, I'd want to," Tony challenged.

Pepper smiled. "So would I," she replied.

Tony whimpered at her admission, and then firmly kissed her lips. Pepper let herself melt into his arms as they began to eagerly make out. Tony's hands ran down her body, and around to her back side. He firmly grabbed it, and squeezed, simultaneously yanking her further into his embrace. An aroused moan left Pepper's lips, and Tony broke the kiss to nod in agreement. "Yeah, baby, I want you," he said. "God, I want you."

"I want you, too," Pepper replied, before their lips reconnected, and they continued their feverish pace. Then Tony cupped her cheek with his hand, as his lips moved down her neck, and Pepper moaning. She closed her eyes, and tilted her head, giving him more access. His lips made their way up to her ear, and flicked her earlobe with his tongue before playfully nibbling it. Pepper's skin erupted in goosebumps, and she moaned softly again.

"I have a confession to make," he murmured breathlessly, temporarily halting what they were doing. He rested his forehead on her temple, and Pepper closed her eyes, the vibration of his voice against her skin sending sparks to her center. She bit her lip, and gave him a soft nod, her chest heaving.

"All I could think about while I was outside was you. Your body. Naked. In the bathtub. Your skin all warm, and wet, and..,"

Pepper whimpered this time, and she opened her eyes, which were dark with fiery desire. She gave him a smoldering look. "Then I have a confession to make, too," she murmured back.

Tony licked his lips hungrily, and then smirked. Then he nodded to her in encouragement. "Tell me, baby. What's your secret?" he urged.

Pepper's cheeks blushed, and she smiled coyly. "While I was in the bathtub? Naked? And so very wet?" she teased.

Tony swallowed hard, and then let out a breathy, "Mmmmm hmmm?", and Pepper smiled.

She continued. "I...was thinking about you, too," she cooed.

Tony's breath hitched, and his chest began to heave. "You were?" he ask eagerly.

Pepper nodded. "Mmmm hmmm," she said. "And...when I just couldn't take it anymore? I decided there was only one way I'd be able to...get any relief," she said, her words breathless and steamy.

Tony's eyes went wide, and he let out a shuttering "Huh!", followed by another hard swallow. "Jesus, Mary, and all the saints!" he rattled off, in a hoarse whisper. "So you...you..." he stammered.

"Well, I...started to, but," Pepper began, trying to sound innocent. But she paused to let out a heavy sigh of disappointment. "I got interrupted when I heard the gunshots, so...by that time, the moment was..."

"Over," Tony finished with a grumble. He sighed heavily. "Me and my impeccable timing, huh?" he joked reluctantly.

Pepper gave him puppy dog eyes, and a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry the story wasn't more exciting," she said. "But I thought you'd like to know, given we were trading fantasies."

Tony smiled mischievously. "Who said it wasn't exciting? The idea that you just thinking about me made you want to play with yourself? Are you kidding me?" he asked, matter of fact, but smirking as he watched Pepper's cheeks blush in response to his words. "I know one thing. I am going to have a hard time concentrating on anything else now. Unless..."

Pepper looked at him curiously. "Unless?" she urged.

"We..." he began, clearing his throat before continuing. He shrugged. "Decide to bring to fruition what you were fantasizing about?" he offered simply.

Pepper chuckled. Then she leaned farther in, and gave him a smoldering look. "Well, I wouldn't say it's not an option," she murmured.

Tony's eyes went wide, and a giddy, hopeful grin spread across his lips.

"But first, we need to take care of business, I'd say. Wouldn't you?" she asked, gesturing to the goose still in the sink.

Tony exhaled sharply. "Of course. Business before pleasure, Potts," he said, trying to regain his resolve. But his resumed strength was clearly a facade, as Pepper heard him mumble, "So, soooo much pleasure," under his breath. She just chuckled in return.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

They'd figured out how to get to to where they could properly clean the inside of the bird. And Tony, to be a good sport, agreed to handle the initial cleaning while Pepper maintained a safe distance, her face permanently set in a grimace as he worked.

"Oh my God, it smells!" she squeaked from the corner of the kitchen, putting a hand under her nose, and turning her head away when Tony cut it open.

"Yeeahhh, it does," Tony reluctantly agreed, turning his own head as he worked to avoid it. But once he got the inner cavity mostly cleaned, and the undesirable parts bagged and disposed of, he beckoned for her to join him. "Okay. Come here, Potts. It's time for you to step in," he said. "I believe this is the working together part of which you spoke?" he teased.

Pepper gave him an unamused look, and slowly stepped to his side. Tony moved to stand behind her, threading his arms through hers, around her waist, with the intention of helping her. She gave him a reluctant wince, and he gave her an encouraging nod as he guided her hand up through the tail end of the bird, toward the chest cavity. "Okay, here we go, baby. Together," he told her.

"Huh!" Pepper squeaked as they were both nearly elbow deep in bird carcass.

"There. Okay. Feel that?" he asked, guiding her hand to something still warm and very sponge-y.

"Feel what? It's all so..."

"That. Right there. That's what we gotta get outta there," he said, pressing her hand into the area he was talking about. "You see what I'm..."

"Yes! Oh God, this is disgusting!" she chirped in response, squeezing her eyes closed, and pursing her lips hard. Tony snuck an amused look at her out of the corner of his eye, and tried to stifle a chuckle.

"You're doing fine. Just use your...fingers to...scrape the," he instructed, moving her hand in his inside the bird.

"What is that stuff, anyway?" she asked, her voice strained, her eyes still firmly shut and her lips still firmly pursed.

"Uh...lung? Or what's left of them?" he answered.

"Eww!" Pepper squealed, jerking her hand away, but unable to free it from the bird. "Why did you tell me that?!"

"Well, you asked, so..."

"I didn't really want to know! Don't answer me when I ask these kinds of things! It was rhetorical!"

"There," Tony said, interrupting her, and letting go of her hand. He straightened up, and looked proudly at his girlfriend. "You did it. We're good!" he told her, grinning.

Pepper popped one eye open, and peered at him, and then the other, while slowly removing her hand from inside the bird. "We...are?" she asked hopefully. "And I did?"

"Yeah. You did great," he said, with a proud smile. He kissed her temple, and chuckled when Pepper gave him a sheepish smile.

"That's it? We're done?" she asked.

Tony shrugged. "It needs a little rinsing out, but...yeah," he said. "I think we've successfully butchered a goose, baby. How's it feel?" he teased.

Pepper looked down at the bird, and then back at her boyfriend. "Honestly?" she said with an impish grin. She looked down at her hand, covered in bird lung matter, and grimaced again. "Like I never wanna do it again," she said flatly.

Tony just chuckled at her. "Well, next time we need a Christmas goose, we'll order it pre-butchered. Sound good?" he joked.

Pepper just rolled her eyes, and shook her head, smiling as she cranked open the tap to rinse the bird and her hands.